Washington Post review

"... Sharply conceived and beautifully executed. By unweaving fabrics representing the American flag, then stretching the remaining threads tightly above other images, Dean creates ghostly comments on the divided and rancorous state of the American polity. He also designs horse drawn retrofits of gas-guzzling cars, a laugh-out-loud comment on our shared and imminent dystopia." - Philip Kennicott, Washington Post

The Compromise

Is seams that compromise has become such a dirty word. As we sit on the brink of default both sides are claiming the moral high ground in a gamble of mutual destruction otherwise known as Washington politics.



This images is from a new body of work that confronts the growing polarization in America: economically, socially, politically. I have been taking American flags apart string by string completely separating them and making two flags out of the vertical and horizontal strings. The strings are threaded through a needle, placed over polarizing imagery and presented as a diptych.

Here we have two quintessential uncompromising American "good guys" sticking to their guns, in a good vs good scenario where the only victory is mutual destruction, raising the question of the ultimate good of uncompromising.